Shakira is speaking out about her recent split from Gerard Piqué and how music has helped her get through “her darkest hour” and be the best mother she can be for her children.
The 45-year-old Colombian singer opened up to Elle about her difficult breakup with the Spanish soccer player, announced in June, and dealing with the resulting custody battle for the couple’s two sons Milan, 9, and Sasha, 7. While making new music has been an essential part of Shakira’s healing process, she is most concerned with her boys’ well-being.
“Music, in my opinion, is a life raft. Some days, I had to pick up the bits of myself off the floor. And the only way to accomplish this has been through music. To, like, put me back together and see me in the mirror and know that I am a mom and that my children rely on me, “She stated that her career had previously been a distraction from motherhood. “I used to dread going to work because I wanted to be there for my kids. I simply wanted to stay in bed with my kids a little longer. And then, I had to get up, record a video, and fulfill my responsibilities. But now I’m grateful for my job, for the opportunity it provides to put ourselves back together and realize who we are and why we’re here on this planet — what our purpose, our mission is.”
Pouring herself into her craft has served as a good diversion from the negative press surrounding her relationship’s end. However, keeping her children safe from chaos is an additional issue.
“It’s been difficult not only for me but also for my children. Extremely difficult. I have photographers camped out in front of my house 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And the only place I can hide from them with my children is my own home. We can’t go for a walk in the park like any other family, get ice cream, or do anything else without being followed by the paparazzi. So it’s difficult, “Shakira explained. “And I’ve attempted to keep the situation hidden from my children. I attempt to accomplish it and protect them because it is my primary goal. But then kids hear stuff at school from their peers or see some nasty, unpleasant news online, and it affects them, you know?”
The local press in Spain, where she lives in Barcelona, has become “intrusive for my kids,” she claims because cameras have disrupted their daily lives.
They do not deserve to be watched or observed at all times, be photographed at the school drop-off, or be trailed by paparazzi. They are entitled to regular life. “It’s just a whole circus, and everyone is guessing about all of these elements of our, and more crucially, our children’s, lives, and a lot of it isn’t even true,” she said. We have a job to do for these two incredible boys, and I am confident that we will figure out what is best for their future, their own life goals, and a fair solution for everyone involved. And I would appreciate and hope for the opportunity to do so privately.”
“It’s incredibly upsetting for two kids who are trying to absorb their parents’ breakup,” she concluded. And sometimes I just feel like I’m having a bad dream and will wake up at some point. But no, it’s true.”
While maintaining her own mental health has been difficult, it is the importance she places on her children that eventually gets Shakira through.
“I simply manage, I guess, by reminding myself that I need to be an example for my kids, that I need to be what they want, what I want them to become,” she said, adding that she also wants to be there for all the people who have given her love and support. That is my greatest asset. Right now, that is my most powerful engine.”